Frozen Assets-Freezer Cooking Master List!

For this post, I'm going to list the food items I selected for the freezer cooking day. I consulted several books, blogs, etc...

So, this will be a LONG post. I'm including all the list, and recipes (some will be linked in the list). Now, bear in mind that I decided to alter our usual shopping trip this time. I've got enough meals planned to get us until Thanksgiving break and not all of them are freezer. I'll make sure to mark which ones are which. :)

I'll also make as short list of supplies that you'll need to have for freezer cooking days and items that are not freezer friendly. Okay-here we go!!

Master Freezer Cooking List:
BREAKFAST ITEMS
*Pumpkin muffins
*Whole wheat chocolate chip pancakes

DINNER ITEMS
*Cheeseburger meatloaf
*Pizza dough (x2 batches) (I like to make four pizzas from each batch so everyone can make their own...bake them just until they are barely cooked, cool, and wrap them individually in foil or press n seal wrap, then bag them in batches)
*Chicken pot pie
*Sloppy joes
*Sausage rigatoni (x2)
*Chicken stir fry
*Bean burritos
*Stuffed shells

*Chicken and Rice casserole

*Marinated chicken (x3)

OTHER ITEMS

*Butterhorns (dinner rolls)

*Fruit Cups

*Butternut squash mac and cheese

Non-Freezer List (if you want any of these recipes, just send me a message and I'll get them to you!)

Apple BBQ crockpot chicken, spinach/ham/cheese pasta, crunchy ranch chicken, Brunswick stew, Balsamic dijon crockpot pork, roast beef/veggies

Supplies: I shop at the Dollar tree for the best value on freezer containers (I like the aluminum take-out style containers), but here are some tips:

*Choose glass or aluminum storage containers (hard plastic ones may crack or break and may not be microwave safe)

*If using plastic storage BAGS (these are safe!), be sure they are listed FREEZER not just storage or you may suffer freezer-burned or spoiled food.

*You will also need a cookie sheet for freezing individual or bagged items

* a tip: acidic items (lemon and tomato based items) can eat through aluminum. If using aluminum storage for those items, spray them first with non-stick cooking spray to avoid this problem!

*You can line baking dishes with foil, put your foods in them, and freeze. When frozen solid, remove the food, double wrap, and stack as "bricks."

RECIPES:

Chicken pot pie:

1 cup cooked, cubed chicken

1 8oz block cream cheese, softened

1 can cream of chicken soup (undiluted)

1 can mixed vegetables

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 unbaked refrigerated pie crust

Mix cream cheese and soup. Add in chicken, veggies, and seasonings. Stir to combine. Pour into greased 8x8 pan. Top with pie crust (either trim edges or fold them over) and make slits to vent. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown or freeze unbaked. To cook from frozen: thaw in refrigerator 4-5 hours before baking and cook as directed or put directly into oven for 1 hour 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Sausage Rigatoni

1 lb sausage, cooked and drained

1 lb penne pasta (cooked to package directions)

1 jar favorite pasta sauce

1 cup shredded mozzerella cheese

Combine sausage, pasta, and sauce (if freezing, you may want to use extra sauce as the pasta will absorb some...also, you may want to keep the pasta on the "firmer" side of cooking if you plan to freeze, since it will cook more when reheated). Top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or freeze. To cook from frozen: thaw in refrigerator for 4-5 hours before baking and cook as directed, or put directly in the oven and cook for 1 hour or until hot all the way through.

*Note: this makes one heaping 9x13 or two 8x8 pans. I am choosing for this to make 2 8x8 pans

Chicken stir-fry

1 cup chicken, cut into bite sized pieces

1/4 tsp garlic powder

2 tbsp oil (canola or vegetable)

1 bag frozen stir fry veggies (we like the sugar snap pea blend)

1/2 cup teriyaki glaze

Put oil into skillet and turn onto medium high. When oil is hot, sprinkle chicken with garlic powder and add to pan. Cook chicken until no longer pink. Add in veggies and glaze. Stir to combine and cover. Cook 10-15 minutes until the veggies are crisp-tender (keep them on the crisper side if freezing). Serve with hot, cooked rice and sliced pineapple. If freezing, pour into freezer safe container. To reheat-thaw in the refrigerator and add to skillet to warm through or heat in a mircrowave safe container. (You can cook the rice ahead and freeze too-put in a separate freezer bag and attach to the stir fry container...re-heat in the microwave)

Stuffed Shells

1 box pasta shells, cooked according to package directions (keep on the firmer side if freezing)

1 15oz container part-skim ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzerella cheese

1 tbsp italian seasoning blend

Jar of favorite pasta sauce

Combine ricotta, cheeses, and seasoning. Put a heaping spoonful in each shell. (to freeze, place stuffed shells on cookie sheet in freezer. Freeze until firm-a couple hours tops, then place into freezer bags appropriate for each meal). Put a thin layer of pasta sauce on the bottom of 8x8 pan. Place shells in the pan. Top with sauce and bake 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Marinated Chicken
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (this will vary depending on the size/appetite of your family: 3 full-size breast pieces or 5 tenderloins is sufficient for our family per meal)

Marinade of choice (Italian dressing, hawaiian, and lemon pepper are favorites)

*hawaiian marinade: 1 small can pineapple juice, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp brown sugar

*lemon pepper marinade: 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 clove minced garlic, 1/4 cup lemon juice, coarse

ground black pepper to taste

Put chicken in freezer safe bag with marinade of choice. Freeze flat on cookie sheet. Stack in freezer. To use: thaw in refrigerator overnight. Grill or bake until chicken is cooked through.

What NOT to freeze!

When making your list, some items just don't freeze well, and that should be considered.

*Lettuce/cabbage/etc...will be soggy and mushy when re-heated

*Pasta and rice should be slightly undercooked before freezing (they will cook some when reheated and if overcooked, will become mushy)

*Eggs will become rubbery in texture

*Milk and cream sauces (with the exception of cream cheese which has a different texture), will likely separate when re-heated

*Fried foods will become soggy

Next post will be after freezer cooking day (should be tomorrow as it's a day off school so hubby can watch the kids!).

Frozen Assets...Post 1

It's been a while since I wrote a blog post. I've known what I wanted my next subject to be, but I've been doing some research the past month or so, trying to formulate a plan that will work for us. This will be a series of posts-this first one will deal with the basics (followed later by the shopping trip and cooking day posts).

I've read numerous blogs, books, and talked to several people about freezer cooking. I made an attempt at it once before, but it wasn't entirely successful. Hopefully I've refined my knowledge on the subject so that I can make this a monthly staple. Some things I've read suggest cooking the entire month's worth of meals (30 meals) to put in the freezer. That isn't a good option for us because it calls for lots of repeat meals, and very precise shopping. However, I've decided to cook 14 meals, to use at our discretion throughout the month.

Why cook ahead? Well...there are a lot of good reasons.
*Saves cooking and cleaning time during the week! Can you imagine a whole week where you never have to clean up cooking utensils? It also prevents that rush during busy nights. Just grab a meal out of the freezer and pop in the oven!
*It's a portion control device. A lot of items I make (specifically pastas and casseroles), make WAY more food than we need for the meal and a day of leftovers. We end up grossly overeating and still throwing away food. So, it's just as easy to make the same amount on cooking day, but separate it into two freezer containers. Voila! Two meals ready to go. And, should you need an extra meal to take to a sick friend or have unexpected company, you are no worse for wear.
*It's money saving. Planning ahead, freezing meals, and having easy to prepare side dishes makes for quick meals. You can control your impulse spending on fast food and eating out this way. Also, the planning portion allows for a chance to implement coupons and other seasonal deals.

Don't have a big freezer? No problem! You can freeze meals flat, in zip-top bags and stack them (a dozen meals takes up only half of a traditional top of fridge freezer)...they do require more prep time when you plan to eat them, but more on that later. I DO recommend getting a deep freeze if you have space (even a garage, laundry room, or corner of a kitchen are good options) because they allow for bulk purchases. Even consider sharing a deep freeze with a friend who has space for one (Maybe they can even exchange a couple of ready-to-eat meals for your freezer space!)

How do you cook for a day with kids under foot? Hire a sitter, send them out with dad, or find a friend who will exchange watching them for food or their own cooking day.

So that's the basics. On the next post, I'll include the meal plan and shopping list. After that, I'll post with actual shopping and cooking days. I'd love for some people to try out this with me!!

Eat From the Pantry Challenge ($30 grocery week!)

A lot of blogs I follow advertise doing "eat from the pantry" challenges. Some are for a few days, some as long as a month. I always found that idea overwhelming and unpleasant. But, in our end of the summer budget crunch, we decided to give it a try. We opted to do one week and see what happened. I have to admit, not only did it save us a lot of money, it was quite humbling.

We have never considered ourselves "extra" wasteful (you know, we recycle and donate when we can, try to eat the last bits of cereal, etc...) but what I didn't realize is how many things we buy that weren't getting used. And then, before you know it, they are expired, spoiled, or stale and you throw them out. I've recently had a lot of overwhelming emotions about the number of people just in our own community that don't have food. It sickens me when I think about how much I throw away. So, slowly but surely, we're making changes towards that. Here's how we did the challenge.

First on the list was to take inventory of what we had (this is now actually a running list for our convenience and to help with waste that we keep tacked on the fridge/pantry door/deep freeze and add/cross off items as needed). We marked down lists for the refrigerator, freezers, and pantry. I had a lot of obvious items this time around and didn't have any trouble at all coming up with meal plans. However, should you find yourself in a situation not knowing how to use what you have, go to www.allrecipes.com and click on "ingredients" at the top. You can list items you have and it will give you meal ideas for those items (you still might have to purchase one or two things, but that's better than buying ALL the ingredients for a different item!).

Then, we listed the few items we needed to complete the meals, and use for the household over the next week. We set our budget at $30 (I know, I know, you're thinking WHAT??). This forced me to do two things: get EVERYTHING in one trip (no quick trips during the week) and really seriously watch my budget.

The outcome: we survived! It was actually refreshing to know that we made it a whole week on $30 worth of additional groceries, we had company over for dinner 2 of those nights, and we were able to use up items we already had on hand! We felt really good about being mindful of our pantry. And, this is something I think we will add to the list every month or two-just to clear out "extras" hanging out in the pantry and freezer. Will YOU take the challenge now?

Here are a couple of tips for doing the challenge:
*don't dismiss those half eaten potato chips/pretzels/crackers that may be stale. Crumbled, they make an excellent crunchy coating for meat and veggies!
*consider how much you will REALLY use (it's okay if you actually run out of something!)If you're running really low on something, use just a hint of water in the bottle (like coffee creamer or ketchup), shake it up, and use it.
*if you have leftovers that you won't use for a while, freeze them. Then pull them out on an eat from the pantry week (no purchasing required!)

It's the Little Things that Count!

Most people think teachers have a glamourous life, with summer breaks and all. What they don't realize is that most teachers don't get a regular paycheck over the summer. So, for our family, this means the last paycheck comes on May 30. Then we have a long stretch until Aug. 30. We have to plan carefully to stretch our money across the summer. But, on occasion, life gets in the way. Like the $400 septic pump we needed put in plus $165 to pump the tank. There went nearly $600 we hadn't budgeted. So, by the end of summer, we're stretching to the next paycheck.

That said, we've been very careful about our budget lately and I've done some exploring. I have to admit, for someone who will jump on a $.75 coupon from a mile away, I sure missed some obvious money-savers. So, I'll attempt to pass on the (obvious) savings to you!

I looked at some things we typically buy and compared them to other, similar options. Amazing what a difference. I'll compare 4 common items on our grocery list:

Shredded cheese: we use shredded cheese in a million and one dishes. But do you realize exactly what a PREMIUM price you pay? I sure didn't...
Great Value brand shredded cheddar cheese (2 cups) $1.98
Great value brand large block cheddar cheese (shredded, yields 6 cups)$3.36
Divided into 2 cups: $1.12
SAVINGS OF $0.86

Rice: I've always used minute rice. No particular reason, it's just what I'm used to. But I really never realized what a money pit it is!
Kroger brand quick minute rice $1.60 for a small box
Kroger brand dry bag rice $.98
SAVINGS OF $0.62

Salsa: I've been making my own for a while. But it really is a great savings.
Kroger brand jar salsa $1.75
Homemade salsa: one can petite diced tomatoes $.50
sliced jalapenos (one jar is $1.30, but yields 10 batches of
homemade salsa) $.13
lemon juice, salt, cumin $.05
1/2 diced onion $.40
Total: $1.08
SAVINGS OF $0.67

Oatmeal: I like the flavored kind. But it's simple to make your own.
Quaker instant oatmel-blueberry delight (6 packets) $2.50 ($.42 per serving)
Great Value quick cooking oats $1.50 (makes 10 servings)
brown sugar, blueberries, and cinnamon to taste $.10 per serving
Total: $.25 per serving
SAVINGS OF $.17

It may not seem like a lot, but for things you buy often, it really adds up. If I buy these 4 things weekly for a year, it adds up to over $100! And imagine the other items you may be paying convenience premiums for!

Summer Parties on a Budget!

I love that I have been blessed with two wonderful children. But when we were "surprised" with Nick, and he was born in mid-July (in fact, the bank clock was the only thing I could see from my hospital room window, blinking 100 F all afternoon), I swore up and down that I would NEVER have another July baby. Fast forward two years. We were expecting a girl...due on Nick's birthday...July 16. UGH! Seriously?? Okay, so God has a sense of humor. Unfortunately, that left us with a little dilemma. Two birthdays, mid-summer, a week apart. Last year, Olivia was only 10 days old when we had Nick's party, and we scheduled a pool party. Perfect for late July, right? NOPE! It was 70 degrees and the water was freezing.

So, with all the mishaps and hooplah surrounding multiple summer birthdays, we devised a plan to not break our budget, make everyone happy, and not have to skimp on the food.

We decided on a joint birthday party for the family to attend. One advantage of summer parties? Almost every produce imaginable is in season and inexpensive, as well as super tasty.

Here's how the lineup looked:
Veggie and chicken kebabs (veggies from our garden-tomatoes, bell peppers, and zucchini; mushrooms and onions from the supermarket...using more veggies, allows for less meat and thus, a cheaper entree)
Fresh fruit and dip
Corn dip (made with fresh corn at just $.25/ear!)
Veggie/ranch bars
Pasta salad

For dessert, we opted to make cupcakes instead of ordering a sheet cake from a local bakery. At $15-20 a pop, it's just not worth it. I was able to make 48 cucakes for under $5. And, I let the kids help decorate, so they were just as excited about them. I did order some cupcake rings for Nick's bowling party from eBay for just a few dollars too. Still much cheaper than store-bought.

It was a really fun time, the kids enjoyed it, and everyone was well fed. So, I guess, although I would never WANT to have another summer baby, there are some advantages.

Pickles Pickles Pickles!!

Our garden has exploded, and thus left us with an overabundance of cucumbers. Dont' get me wrong, I enjoy the OCCASIONAL cucumber, but much rather prefer the pickled variety. Unfortunately, making pickles is a very delicate and time consuming process. Enter-my wonderful Grandma Rhew. I don't have a lot of memories of her, but these pickles are something I do remember. I remember her having them in her refrigerator in the summer-and also my mom making them every year. I haven't made them in years, but it's exciting. I can almost taste them now...but I must wait for 2 days!!

They are super easy, quick, and cheap to make. So I thought it only appropriate to share it on here. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do. :)

Refrigerator Pickles
Slice 4-5 small/medium cucumbers thinly and fill a large, clean glass jar. Add one peeled garlic clove, whole.
In a separate bowl, mix the following:
2 cups cold water, 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp salt, 2 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp dill, and 1/2 tsp whole peppercorns. Pour liquid over sliced cucumbers. Seal jar and refrigerate for 2 days.

June Meals and the summer harvest!

So sorry it has been a few weeks since I blogged last. It has been BUSY BUSY BUSY as most summers are. I realize that I never posted the June meals list. This will be a two-part post because during the summer it just isn't practical for us to do a month of meals at a time. We do a significant amount of traveling and entertaining so it's a little unpredictable, and for us, can be more costly if we try to plan too far in advance. We're also getting the first items from our garden, which is also unpredictable, and will dictate much of what we cook later in the summer. It's so refreshing to walk out to the yard and pick what you need for a meal!

Alright, on to the list! As always, I'm happy to share recipes if you want them.

Italian marinated grilled chicken/baked sweet potatoes/salad
Dijon chicken/roasted garlic potatoes/green peas
Homemade sloppy joes/roasted potato fries
Broccoli chicken alfredo pasta/garlic toast/salad
Teriyaki flat iron steak/baked potatoes/salad/homemade yeast rolls
Honey Mustard pork chops/stove top stuffing/green beans
BBQ ribs/grilled corn/baked beans
Tomato soup and grilled cheese
Cincinnati chili/hot dogs/
Chicken parmesan/spaghetti/garlic toast/salad
Breakfast casserole/fresh fruit/yogurt
Lemon pepper grilled chicken/rice-a-roni/grilled veggies
Stuffed shells/3 cheese bread
Tacos/refried beans/homemade salsa and chips